PGSU seeks to affiliate with a new national union — vote open till July 3 11:59PM ET!
PGSU is currently holding a vote on re-affiliating with a national union. All members are eligible to vote. Members should have received further information about the affiliation proposal and voting instructions at their non-institutional email. If you can’t find your ballot, let us know at askPGSU@gmail.com.
This is a key moment for our campaign, and we hope that you will join us in making this important decision.
P.S. If you signed a “mission statement card” back in 2016 or 2017, you are not necessarily a member. We shifted to become a membership organization in early 2018 and put out our membership form then. If you’re not sure of your status, an organizer in your department will be happy to tell you!
What is affiliation?
Affiliation is a process in which a local unit (like PGSU) formally associates with a larger, national union organization.
Local union units affiliate to access and build collective resources and power with a national union organization. The national union provides legal, organizing, staff, and other forms of support to the local union unit. Members of the local unit, in turn, retain ultimate autonomy over the process of unionizing, elections, contract negotiations, striking, and other actions. They also contribute a portion of their dues to the national union. In short, the support of a national union can make us more effective in winning a local union and winning a strong contract.
Why is PGSU proposing a new affiliation?
In 2016, graduate workers at Princeton voted to affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). However, in the spring of 2018, AFT changed their organizing model to end direct support to local union campaigns like ours, instead opting to support graduate students as individuals who directly affiliate with AFT. We have since sought to affiliate with a national union which is better aligned with our goal to to build power here in our workplace and unionize as a local to improve working and living conditions for grads.
Why and how should I participate?
This decision will directly affect all aspects of your organizing: the resources that will be available to you, the next steps for your union, and your ability to build solidarity beyond campus. All of us need to make this decision collectively, and PGSU members decided on a quorum in advance of the vote to hold each other accountable. So, turn up and vote!
You must be a member of PGSU at the time of the vote. New members can also vote so long as the voting period is open!
Click here to become a PGSU member!
Membership is open to all graduate students enrolled at Princeton University! Learn more about membership here or from our ongoing events.